A Promise I Intend to Keep
by Levi Yeager
Summary: When the 58th Expedition Beyond the Walls suddenly takes a turn for the worst, humanity is dealt a deafening blow. Having lost Humanity's Hope and Humanity's Strongest Soldier within a crystal, will Hanji and Erwin be able to discover the mystery to setting the new lovers free? Riren/Ereri
1. Encased

**Chapter 1: Encased**

"I'm sorry..." Words trailed off with an echo through the stiff and stale air. A masculine hand caressed a bright pale blue crystal, while his eyes were glancing mournfully at what it contained. His eyebrows furrowed slightly, inspecting each and every detail of the crystal. It appeared to be indestructible and contained no cracks they could pry from.

Commander Erwin finally turned around; his boots making a small scuffing sound against the dungeon floor. His eyes trained on the people standing with him as his face remained bleak. Their faces contorted with misery as their eyes dodged not only the Commander, but also the crystal.

"Today, humanity was dealt a huge blow. I'm sure we're all aware of that," Erwin spoke calmly. Armin's fists clenched painfully as he finally dared to have the courage to face the bold eyes of Commander Erwin. Mikasa gently tugged at her scarf as she remained distracted.

"We have lost Humanity's Hope and Humanity's Strongest, while that hinders us for now, that's not to say we have lost the war." Erwin paused as he made collective glances towards everyone in the room; Hanji, Armin, Mikasa, Sasha, Connie, Jean, and Historia.

"Needless to say, our main objective is the same, but we now have a secondary factor. Freeing Eren Jaeger and Levi from the crystal. While we lack tools to do so, I will leave Hanji in charge of conjuring a plan to handle that."

Hanji could only not and stare sorrowfully at the trapped people within the crystal. Eren appeared to be asleep peacefully as it seemed Levi was desperately trying to pull him out of his Titan form. Indeed, that was the case before this ordeal began. However, Hanji could only stare at how peaceful and content Levi looked within the crystal. Strange.

Hanji scrutinized at that detail with amiss. If Levi was yanking Eren out of his Titan form, there would be no way he would look that calm. It was an unsettling epiphany that her calculating and hypothesizing mind could only handle. It might have been a useless piece of information, but it was a place to start.  
"As for the rest of you, we will carry on. We will need to keep this an uttermost secret in order not to lose morale. We need to ensure the survival of the Survey Corps, as a whole." Erwin finished his speech. Everyone nodded and said their "Yes sir's".

"Its been a rough day, everyone go get some rest. Hanji, will you stay for a moment?"

Mikasa pitifully stared at Eren for another second before Armin nudged her towards the door. Everyone somberly exited the room, save for Hanji and Erwin.  
A momentary silence overcame the room as Hanji and Erwin exchanged looks. Erwin eventually broke the eye contact and turned around. His hand brushed against the cool, slick crystal; right where Levi's face was located.

"You notice it too, don't you?" His voice came out hushed, but it remained an air of confidence.

"It doesn't make sense. If he was crystallized, his facial features would have remained still." Hanji finally spoke out her questionable thoughts.  
"What do you believe might be the case?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but maybe its properties allow movement for what's captive on the inside? Or they could be transfixed into a dreamlike state before they are completely enveloped..." Hanji bit her lip in uncertainty. It was far too strange. Just what exactly was this material?

"Both theories are plausible, Hanji. How long do you think they will last?" There it was, the main concern that was on everyone's thoughts. It was not the survival of the Survey Corps, but the survival of their comrades.

"Considering Annie's condition, its undefined... But I'm more worried about Levi... He's not-"

"He's not a Titan Shifter." Erwin's fist collided with the crystalic substance. There was still no mark. Hanji fidgeted nervously with her fingers. Would Levi live?  
"How did things come to this? I thought Eren didn't have the ability to perform hardening..." Erwin remarked again, as he pressed his forehead roughly against the surface.

"I didn't believe he had the ability either, Commander. Perhaps it was triggered by a reflex." Hanji's mind replayed the events that lead up to the petrification of her comrades.

"I never saw Levi look that panicked in my life."

"How did you expect him to react when his precious lover was going to be devoured by titans?"

* * *

The 58th expedition beyond the walls was running quite smoothly. The formation for the most part was working successfully. With Erwin at the front, the group was able to navigate around several forests that Levi dubbed as, "Big ass trees."

With the recent deaths of the original Special Operations Squad, Levi decided it was best to have him, and him alone watch over Eren. The two were riding their horses speedily from the back rear of the formation.

"Oi, shitty brat, keep up."

"I'm not a brat, Heichou!" Eren shouted back at the short man. Levi turned his head to glare at Eren before allowing his own horse to slow down to Eren's speed.

"If I say you're a brat, then you are," He replied cooly before reaching out and brushed back a strand of Eren's hair.

"Levi-Heichou, don't get distracted," Eren blushed nervously before Levi rolled his eyes.

"Since when were you giving me orders?"

"I-I wasn't, sir... It's just that-"

"Don't be such a fucking distraction then." Levi placed a gentle kiss on Eren's cheek before speeding up. Eren was speechless, but his eyes found more determination to press forward. He was eventually up to par with Levi's pace and they continued towards their goal. Shiganshina.  
Just as things were going to plan, they were suddenly thrown into hell. Titans were emerging from all sides, despite the efforts of their formation. The Right and Left flank fired flares signaling a state of emergency. Erwin could only grit his teeth in dismay.

What had caused the sudden splurge of activity?

Within moments of noticing the flares, Eren's eyes opened wide.

"Levi, what the hell is happening?" Eren said exasperated as he continued to stare in utter dismay. Levi refused to grant him an answer and he instead decided to speed up.

"Levi!" Eren screeched, continuing after the man. However, Levi continued ahead, and within moments titans were soon within sight. Eren watched as the creatures were devouring his comrades left and right. His eyes were filled with rage and fear.

No! Not this again! His hand was pulled towards his mouth. He wouldn't allow his comrades to fall again!

"Eren, listen to me," Levi's voice came out calm, but Eren could tell that the commander was a bit worried. How were they to fight the titans in an open area where 3D maneuver gear was limited? Surely the only reasonable answer would be to have Eren transform and handle the mess.

However, Levi was hesitant. Something was not settling well with him. He could sense something amiss. There shouldn't be that many titans at once with the strategy after all. How did it so quickly become a disaster?

"Levi-Heichou, I'm not going to sit and watch our comrades die! I'm not going to let you die!" Eren roared. Before Levi could do anything about his defiant lover, Eren had bitten his hand. A strike of lightning formed along with a splitting screech. Levi's eyes were immediately focused on the 17 meter class titan. Eren rushed into the swarm of titans, attacking as many as he could. Levi continued after him, the knot in his stomach growing. Something was off.

"It's unlike you to be so worked up, Levi." Hanji eerily remarked. Her horse was catching up to Levi's when she caught sight of why he could be in tantalizing fear. His demeanor adjusted itself quickly when Hanji arrived.

"He rushed in there like an idiot..." Levi remarked and he could only glare at Eren. Humanity's Hope was currently attracting even more giants to the battlefield.

"Looks like his idea backfired," Hanji stated when her eyes suddenly became huge.

"L-Levi... Is he being eaten?!" She squealed with shock. At that instant, Levi was no longer on his horse. His hooks had landed on a distracted titan and her mercilessly cut the nape off. Levi proceeded to go head into the swarm of titans.

"There's too many, even for him... He'll be devoured even quicker than Eren." She glared and decided her assistance would be needed as well. She prepared her 3DMG and lunged herself into the hoard of giants.

"Eren, Oi, brat! Can you hear me?!" Levi shouted. He was killing the titans that were surrounding Eren. Meanwhile, Eren himself was rendered immobile and toppled over onto the ground. The titans that were attracted to him were gnawing away at his legs. He glared and realized what he needed to do.  
His hooks were attached the nape of the Titan Shifter. He needed to get Eren out of there and away from the creatures. The situation was extremely risky, since he was now at a low height and easy prey to the savages. Hanji was able to catch wind and kill a titan that was reaching towards Levi.

"This isn't like you, Levi! But hurry and get him out!" Hanji hollered while killing another titan.

"You don't think I'm not working as fast as I can, shitty four eyes?!" Levi shouted as his blades began cutting the boy out. Once he had finished, he began to cut the flesh that bound Eren to the giant titan.

However, despite how speedily Levi worked at freeing Eren, it was not fast enough. It was as if time as stopped. A titan was preparing to slam into Levi and Eren.

"Shit..." Levi hastily put his arms under Eren in a fruitless effort to free him. They needed to get out now.

"Eren! Get the hell out of here!" Levi grunted; blindly trying to force Eren out of the flesh. His hunched over figure was oblivious to the impending terror that was soon to become reality.

"Levi!" Hanji screamed in pure horror as the titan slammed harshly at the defeated Titan Shifter. There would be no chance Levi could have evaded the horrific slam, she knew that. A heavy smoke filled the air; visibility was low. Hanji dismounted the titan she was currently on and skidded several meters away. Mikasa and Armin were soon to arrive to the scene, along with reinforcements.

"Hanji! What's going on?" Mikasa screamed at her. Hanji continued to stare numbly at what she witnessed. She suddenly fell to her knees, with tears brimming her eyes.

"E-Eren... Levi..." She murmered. That was all Mikasa needed to hear before she darted into the veil of smoke.

"Mikasa, wait!" Armin extended his hand, it trembling in fear. There was no way. Eren couldn't have... he just couldn't!

The reinforcements engaged the titans, with Commander Erwin shouting orders. He was frazzled and could only ponder on what happened. The expedition was running so smoothly and now it was nothing more than a scattered mess. The formation was ruined, there were many casualties, some of which may have been his best soldier and humanity's hope.

Once Mikasa had managed to take out the majority of the surrounding titans, with the aid of the reinforcements, everyone was unable to peel their eyes off the sight before them.

There, encased in the thick crystal was Eren and Levi. Hanji's jaw dropped and Mikasa rushed over to where Eren was. Her hands shakily touched the surface. It was surprisingly scalding. Her hand retracted before she fumbled with her red scarf.

"Oh, Eren..." Her eyes went to the man next to him. They glared with pure hatred at the man's relaxed features.

"You didn't protect him!" She bellowed before Armin put a hand on her shoulder. He rubbed his eyes with his free hand. Mikasa felt tears ebbing her eyes and she hastily wiped them away.

Commander Erwin, who remained the only man not to visibly show his fear and worry, ordered everyone to lift the crystal and place it on a wagon. He stressed that their immediate goal was to retreat back to the walls and to protect Eren and Levi. No matter the cost.

* * *

Mikasa collapsed on her mattress as she released tears of anguish. This couldn't be happening to Eren! Levi should have protected him, like he promised. What was worse, was that they did not have a single idea on how to free Annie. Now that Eren was in the same situation, Mikasa was worried beyond belief.  
A gentle knock sounded against Mikasa's door. She ignored it and remained on her bed.

"Mikasa? Mikasa, are you there?" Armin asked softly with tired eyes. He knew she was there, and he knew she would not answer, at least, not now. Armin quietly walked away into his own bedroom chambers.

**End of Chapter~ c: I hope you enjoyed it~ **


	2. The Promises

**Chapter 2: The Promises**

"So, do you want to go on a date with me, Heichou?"

"Why would I want to go anywhere with a brat like you?"

"Levi! I'm not a brat!"

Silence.

Eren's eyes scanned the space he found himself in. It was as if he was in a green sea, which was undoubtedly grass. His teal orbs met steel gray. Levi was sprawled out in the plush green grass with his head turned towards Eren.

Everything appeared so peaceful. Eren could only feel a grin spread across his face.

"What's with that face, Jaeger?" Levi questioned, as he propped himself up with an elbow.

"I think you know what, Corporal."

How could Levi resist that sinfully beautiful smile plastered on Eren's face? Eren knew Levi well enough to know that his expressions could easily influence the shorter male. Eren wanted to go on a date, and he was going to get that.

"Where to, shitty brat?" Levi inquired as his gaze fixed back to the blue sky. Eren grabbed the pale man's hand before placing a chaste kiss on his lips. Levi blushed softly, and Eren smirked.

"I want to visit the ocean."

"Tsk, and do you have any idea how you plan to get there? If you hadn't noticed, we're trapped within these walls." Levi pointed to them, and Eren's smile fell.

"Well, once day, when we eradicate the titans, I want to go to the ocean, _with you_."

Levi's normally cold demeanor faltered. His eyes returned to Eren's face and he offered a small, thin smile.

"Then we'll make it a promise, shitty brat," Levi squeezed Eren's hand gently. Eren beamed at his lover before jumping on top of him.

"Shit, what are you doing, Eren?" Levi asked puzzled. However, he didn't kick the brunette off as he watched carefully. Eren knelt down and cupped Levi's face before he kissed the man forcefully. The older man became surprised before he jerked Eren closer to him.

_"Its a promise I intend to keep."_

It had been two weeks. A week filled with anxiety and dead ends. Hanji optimistically went off any details she could find to figure out a possible way to free the two trapped within the crystal. Nothing they had was strong enough to break the enormously dense substance with force. Hanji deduced that the only way of potentially saving them was to use a chemical approach.

Erwin, instead of completing his paperwork, fervently watched Hanji work. She was bound to find a solution, and until then, Erwin would not be able to focus on his work. Often he would sit in a chair located near the corner and watch the crystal for any sign of movement.

Initially, Mikasa, Armin, Jean and the others would visit Eren and Levi. However, after much disappointment and a lack of progress, many of them rarely showed up. Mikasa and Armin would still visit daily, merely talking to Eren about things that were currently going on.

Hanji was frustrated beyond belief. With all the knowledge she had, she tested each and every chemical to see whether or not it would dissolve the crystal. Unfortunately, it seemed that none of them were successful.

As of now, Hanji was investigating the crystal to check for Levi and Eren's heart-rate. Since their previous meddling with Annie's crystal form, they were able to determine if a specimen was alive.

"Isn't it strange, Erwin. Despite them not being able to eat or drink, they're able to survive an extended period of time without those needs." Hanji commented with immediate interest.

Erwin, who was aiding in Hanji's research, looked up. His blue eyes momentarily sparked with curiosity before they returned to their dull and calculating manner.

"You don't think the crystal provides nutrients to their bodies, do you? Or maybe they're in suspended animation where not even time can affect them!" Hanji peered over to Eren who looked so relaxed, and then another relevation became clear.

"Erwin... Can you bring me the sketch of Eren's face," Hanji asked. Erwin was about to question why, but he reluctantly handed the sketch to her. Her eyes scanned the page and back up at Eren.

"Eren looks as healthy as can be inside there, yet from when we did experiments, he often looked sickly..."

"Maybe there's healing properties" Erwin suggested, as he too, began to study Eren's "unharmed" body.

"Quite possibly, but the crystal structure is the exact same as the wall's..." Hanji pondered.

The walls were easy to break with the right amount of force. However, the crystal, while the same, appeared to be much tougher to crack. Hanji wiped the sweat from her brow.

"We should take a break. After all, they wouldn't want us to suffocate in this filthy air," Hanji laughed uneasily. Levi was a clean freak, and he would have made sure even the underground chambers smelled and felt like they were on the upper floor.

The two walked out into the kitchen where they found Sasha and Connie bickering about what to serve. Once they spotted the Commander and Hanji, they quieted down and saluted.

"How is the progress, Commander?" Sasha inquired, as she resumed to cutting the vegetables. Connie remained still and waited for a response.

"The same old, same old." The words were painful to hear. No progress. No advancements. Not a thing.

"W-Well, lunchtime will be soon, you'll join us right?" Sasha asked, hoping to ease the tension that suddenly built up. Hanji and Erwin nodded calmly. Lunch with a bunch of crazy children sounded pretty nice.

The leaves were changing color, an indication of autumn. Mikasa leaned herself against the castle wall as she observed the changes. With a scowl clearly written on her face, she crossed her arms bitterly.

"He should have kept his promise to us," She mumbled. The sky was cloudy on that particular day and Mikasa only hoped it would rain sooner. She did not want everyone to see the tears that were threatening to pour from eye almond shaped eyes.

"He did his best, Mikasa," Armin commented; his eyes worried for his friend. She wasn't sleeping, barely eating, and always on the edge. Eren needed to come back them soon.

"His best wasn't enough! Look at what happened!" She shouted, her eyes flaring with rage. "He broke his promise, he's a fucking bastard!"

"Calm down, Mikasa. Its not going to help Eren get out of this situation faster," Jean retorted. He was concerned for Mikasa and as much as he hated to admit it, he was also worried about Eren. They all were.

"Try to keep your head up. I'm sure Eren wouldn't like to see you this way," Historia quipped quietly. She almost made it sound as though Eren was _dead_ and never coming back to her. Mikasa gritted her teeth and bit her lip. Her head lowered, just in time for the rain to begin to pour.

"You're cooking meat?!" Hanji shouted in awe. Meat was such a rarity and extremely expensive. Usually people only served meat for special occasions. According to Sasha, the special occasion was to rally everyone together in order to cheer up. Everyone was upset and stressed about Eren and Levi's situation. The least Sasha could do was to prepare a nice feast for lunch.

"We're all working so hard, I thought it would be good to take a break and enjoy a meal," Sasha answered with drool dripping from her mouth. Connia rolled his eyes at Sasha's behavior. Food was her thing, he had to admit. She was a great hunter, a great cook, and a lover of food.

"Sounds like the perfect idea," Erwin commented as he helped set cutlery. Hanji was over Sasha's shoulder, watching her prepare all the food. Sasha would glance nervously at Hanji and back to Connie. The short boy could only offer a laugh.

"Connie, go get everyone so we can all eat," Sasha said, indicating she was almost finished. Connie nodded before running out the door after the others.

"This will be so delicious!" Hanji jumped about, not worrying about knocking over pots and pans.

Sasha rationed the vegetable stew onto everyone's plate. The freshly cooked chicken was delicately placed in the center of the table. The table's seats were filled, minus two. Everyone was talking cheerfully and laughing, all except Mikasa. She picked at her food, too busy trying to keep herself calm.

"So then Sasha nearly got beaten by the man she stole the chicken from!" Connie laughed as Sasha blushed embarrassed.

"That's not how it happened! He was just chasing me around!" Everyone continued to laugh and eat. However, Mikasa stood up and stared at them all menacingly.

"How can you all be so happy when our friend is trapped and possibly dying?!" Hanji and Erwin stared at the raven haired woman perplexed. She gripped her fork tightly in the palm of her hand as she glared harshly at everyone.

"You all make me sick! You act as if he never existed!"

Everyone's expressions soured. The room became silent.

"We're doing everything we can, Mikasa," Armin retorted. "There's only so much we can handle."

"Mikasa, Armin's right. We can't spend our entire life upset... How can we ensure the survival of the Survey Corps if we're all bawling messes?" Connie nervously answered. He had made a huge mistake. Mikasa dropped her fork onto her plate.

"You all talk as if he's never getting out of there!" She shouted and stormed off to what they presumed was the dungeon. Armin was about to stand up and chase after her, but Erwin held out his hand.

"Let her collect her thoughts privately."

Their meal continued in silence. The only sounds were the mild clanking of silverware against the plates.

"Eren... You have to get out of there," Mikasa pleaded to the still boy from within. She stared at how his features were completely relaxed. As if he was not in immediate danger at all. Her eyes traveled to Levi who's expression was also content.

"How can you look so calm..." She spat. She had hated the man ever since he had beaten Eren in the courtroom. Despite how he had saved Eren from Annie and her, her own feelings did not change. If anything, when she found out Eren had fallen in love with Levi, she was furious. She threatened the short man until he merely told her it was none of her "fucking business".

Eren was unhappy with her behavior towards his boyfriend. The two were fighting for a solid week before she gave in. She eventually met up with Levi where she made him promise to keep Eren safe, no matter the cost. She remembered how cooly the man replied.

_"You think I'd let him die so easily, Ackerman?" Levi's expression had not changed a bit. Mikasa's eyes darted to the other side of the tavern they were currently sitting at._

_"I don't know with you. You're probably leading him on so you can kill him, the "monster" " She knew people did not like her brother because of his abilities. Levi probably wasn't any different._

_"I do agree that he's a monster," Mikasa's eyes glared harshly before Levi could finish. "However, he's not a monster for the reasons everyone believes so. He's a monster because he won't bow down to anyone," Levi finished. His arms were crossed._

_"He's not a monster in any way!" She snarled and Levi offered a smirk to her comment. _

_"You don't think he is? Then you must be heavily biased."_

_"I refuse to accept the two of you together!" _

_"No one said you had to. Who cares what you think? It's not going to stop Eren or me from still seeing each other. Maybe you need to stop being a fucking mother to him and know your place," Levi replied, not intending for his words to come off nearly as harsh as they did. _

_"I promised to look out for him," she stated. Levi closed his eyes and sighed._

_"I'll take the burden from you."_

_"You're ridiculous! I can't trust you!"_

_"Then let's make it a fucking promise, Ackerman."_

_Mikasa furrowed her eyebrows. Her hand grasped her drink before she took a sip. A promise? Why was he so intent on having her Eren? She huffed before setting her drink down. _

_"You promise to protect him no matter the cost?" She eyed him suspiciously, looking for a glimpse of a lie. She found Levi to be the true monster, not Eren. She found him to be cold, ruthless and demonic. However, she noticed how his eyes lit up with a sense of pride._

_"I promise to protect the shitty brat even if it costs my life." He sat his cup down to stare her dead in the eyes. _

That was that, in the end, Mikasa gave up and left her job to Levi. She would gamble her trust on him. Now she felt as though she was horribly wrong.

**The End of Chapter 2~ c: **

**I ****hope you enjoyed it! (I'll be doing frequent updates for a while until I move into a weekly schedule. c:)**


	3. Dire for Answers

**Chapter 3: Dire for Answers**

The sun was setting and everyone in town began to wander off to their homes. It was odd how humanity was its safest during the night, where the titans were stilling from deprivation of sunlight. The moon was out, casting its pale glowing light onto the Earth in a sense of false tranquility. No matter how humanity wanted to make sense of it, they were always in danger.

Nestled side by side, Eren and Levi continued to stare up at the starry sky from the dew stricken grass. Eren would make "oohs, and aahs" but Levi remained quiet. He was drinking in the scenery with equal interest before Eren began to nuzzle his neck. Instead of ruining the moment, Levi instinctively wrapped an arm around his waist and brought the brunette closer.

"I thought you would have started complaining about how dirty the ground is, Heichou," Eren whispered into the man's ear. Levi smirked gently before he nudged the taller boy back.

"You have a point, Jaeger. I must be absolutely fucking filthy. We should go," He prepared to stand up, taking his lover's hand earnestly. Eren paraded through town until he reached a familiar house.

"I'm sure Mom wouldn't really care if we stayed the night," Eren replied as he dragged his boyfriend to his mother's door. Levi sighed and muttered something about being an adult himself and how he didn't need to stay in a house with someone's mother.

Knocking on the door gently, Eren was greeted by the sight of his mother's face. Carla Jaeger looked surprised but also delighted.

"Grisha, look who's paying us a late visit!" Carla turned her head to address the man whom was sitting at the kitchen table. He was nonchalantly reading a newspaper and drinking tea. His eyes shifted over to the visitors before he nodded.

"Well, Carla, don't let them stand out in the cold any longer." He muttered with a small wry smile. She hurriedly allowed them inside and waited for them to take off their boots.

"What brings you here this late?" Carla asked. She returned to the kitchen to continue washing dishes. The lantern was the only source of light within the home. It flickered with an unkempt excitement.

"Its getting too dark to make it all the way back to Levi's, so I was wondering if we could stay the night?" Eren asked nervously, hoping his parents would not decline. His mother would probably call him irresponsible for staying out and not being able to make it back home. Levi must have sensed the apprehension, because he opened his mouth to speak.

"We were inside filing reports about the previous expedition and before we realized it, it was completely dark."

Carla nodded, falling prey to the lie. She motioned them to go on to Eren's room so they could sleep. Eren invited Levi in before cautiously closing the door. Levi quickly changed out of his pressed shirt. He eyed Eren teasingly, since the brunette quickly followed suit. Eren blushed and waltzed over to place a loving kiss on Levi's lips. The other calmly obliged. Eren pulled back to finish undressing himself.

He instinctively reached to grab the key on his neck, only to find it missing. His face paled and he began looking around the floor.

"I couldn't have lost it!" Eren mumbled. Levi knelt down to see what the commotion was about. Eren was frantically searching the floor for whatever it contained.

"How are we to get into the basement and uncover all the secrets to the titans-" Eren's expression was a reveal of confusion. It finally dawned on him.

"Levi, why was my mother alive?" Why did he already recall her being alive, and why were they in Shiganshina? Wall Maria had been lost to titans years ago!

Levi couldn't offer a reply. He was slightly perplexed and confused as to what Eren was getting at. Truth be told, he knew something was slightly off.

"Wait a minute, I must be dreaming... A pretty cruel dream," Eren muttered, calming himself down. His dreams had always been vivid, but there was something quite peculiar about the one he was partaking in now.

He shrugged it off and tackled Levi to bed. If it was in fact a dream, he wouldn't waste it.

Within the dark murmurs of the night, a silhouetted figure brushed a hand against a window pane to a familiar home. The fog on the class ebbed away as the moisture clotted against the fingertips of the figure.

"Wake up and you will be free," came the isolated and detached voice that mimicked the wind.

* * *

Mikasa woke up groggily on the dungeon floor. She could only cringe at the musty air. She propped herself up, her eyes meeting Eren's peacefully closed ones.

"Please wake up soon," she whispered, nearly inaudible. Hanji walked up behind her and helped her up.

"You wouldn't believe what we saw last night!" Hanji beamed brightly. She was all giddy and excited while Erwin remained passive. Mikasa was all ears, it had to be good news.

"Late last night, after you had tuckered yourself out, the crystal began to glow. It was surprising, so I went to investigate it, and guess what?" Hanji was super excited. Mikasa was hoping it was a new lead.

"I'm not sure what did it, but the surface area of the crystal seemed to evaporate! A full six centimeters all around vanished!" Progress. Something was working. Mikasa let out a long needed sigh and she relaxed her stiffened muscles. She focused once again on Eren.

"Do you think he was trying to break free on his own?" She suggested, and Hanji smiled brightly.

"Who really knows? But that's what I'm going to find out. Maybe they're fighting their way out of that crystal. I just hope it's soon." Hanji replied calmly. She turned towards Erwin.

"We went to investigate Annie's crystal and found no changes. Hanji concluded that it had something to do with having the "will" to break free," Erwin commented and he continued to stick his nose back into the notes the two had gathered.

"Leave this to us, Mikasa. We'll have this figured out soon, I'm sure of it. Meanwhile, you should go join the others for breakfast. I'm sure they're worried about you as well," Hanji fanned Mikasa away, out of the dungeon.

"How long do you think it will take for the crystal to be thin enough for us to pry them free?"

"Who knows, Erwin. Maybe it's completely indestructible, but what we witnessed last night, was a miracle."

Armin and Jean were tending to the horses in the stall. Currently, they were both brushing their own personal horses when Jean finally broke the peaceful silence.

"Do you think she's okay, y'know, Mikasa?" Jean asked.

"I'm sure she'll be okay. Eren's not dead, but she worries about him a lot."

"Why does she always worry about the suicidal bastard? Not to mention, it's like she's holding a personal vendetta against Commander Levi," Jean continued.

Armin paused before a small smile came across his face. "Mikasa's protective over Eren, and because of things that have happened... She hates Levi for endangering his safety."

"Still, aren't the two, exclusive? She still chases after him as if she wants to marry him." The jealousy in Jean could be heard with his previous sentence. He hated how Eren got the beautiful Mikasa's attention, even when Eren was with someone else. It wasn't fair.

"She still finds it hard to let go, because she'll always be looking out for him," Armin paused before making a giddy smile, "That's just how family is. Always looking out for one another."

Jean scoffed and continued to groom his horse. He never really understood why Eren always called him horseface, or for that matter, anyone.

Mikasa found herself eating breakfast with everyone from the newly formed Squad Levi. It was unseeingly quiet, save for Sasha's ecstasy for food. She assumed it was because of her outburst last night. Mikasa took a bite out of her bread before placing a faint smile on her face.

"They found good news," she whispered, and at that, everyone's interest was peaked.

"Good news? Did they find a way to break the crystal?" Armin asked enthusiastically. He just knew that Hanji would figure out a solution. Although, Mikasa shook her head. Armin waited patiently for a response.

"Hanji said the crystal glowed late last night, and that the crystal's surface area shrunk."

Jean, Connie, Sasha, and Historia stared in utter surprise. Armin nodded calmly so to not spit out the drink he was sipping on.

"Does that mean they'll be free?" Sasha questioned.

"Yeah, when do you think they will be, y'know, out?" Connie asked.

Mikasa shook her head. She had no idea if they would break free. There was still quite an abundance of the substance coating Eren and Levi. She could only imagine the amount of time it would take.

"It better be soon." With that said, she opened the door from the kitchen only to be surprised with a young woman from the military police.

"Hey, we know Commander Erwin's here, so why don't you show me where he is?"

Mikasa grimaced and was about to attack the girl. She was a threat to Eren. She would not allow them to go in so easily.

Armin walked over to the door and put on a tense smile. "S-Sure thing, he'll be down there."

Once the girl stalked off towards the dungeon, Armin sighed.

"If you make a huge scene, they will get suspicious." Mikasa lowered her eyes and clenched her fists.

"If they hurt Eren, so help me..."

Historia walked over to the two to see what was the matter. She was about to ask Mikasa what was the matter before the raven haired girl walked outside hastily. Without a doubt, she would be training her anger out.

"Commander Erwin Smirth, sir!" A feminine voice sounded out from the dungeon. Erwin's attention was brought to the woman from the military police who had barged in and stayed at the door. Thankfully she did not invite herself in because there would be no way for them to hide the gigantic crystal that encased their men.

"Your presence is required at court in five days at noon, sir!" At that, Erwin paled. What was the need to go to court so soon? Why so suddenly?

"May I ask why?"

"You failed to report the status of the previous expedition to authorities within the allotted amount of time, sir." She answered respectfully before taking her leave. Erwin cursed himself out loud. How could he have been so careless to not file the reports about the mission?

Erwin rested his head with his hand. This was just great. Hanji sighed worriedly.

"They're going to find out, and then they'll want custody of the two of them... And then that will be the end of the two," Hanji rasped. She would have to work faster. They needed to free the two before Erwin would have to go to court.

"We cannot allow them to have custody over Eren." And Erwin wanted to add, _or Levi_. The situation was dire and it seemed they were running out of time. He trusted Hanji to pick up on any leads she could find. For now, Erwin would have to leave her and prepare a reasonable excuse as to why he had failed to fill out a report.

**End of Chapter 3**  
I hope you have enjoyed it! c:

Thanks for reading!


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